Training Log Archive: expresso

Short warmup & running back from the "meow" map.

Badger Meet at Cat's Agenda, Kettle Morraine North. Another beautiful day, though a bit warmer than yesterday. My first run on this new map and I really enjoyed it. Kevin set a fun course with some good route choices & technical controls. For the first time ever, I went under 10min/k on a "cat" map despite a couple of minutes of errors. Of course, the eur-o studs clobbered my time but not by too much. All systems go today.

C • good result! 2

As long as I took the trip up there, I did some control picking on the Cat's Meow map after the race. This side is more difficult than the "agenda." The terrain all looks the same and there are few distinctive features from which to relocate so a parallel error is catastrophic. This made my training a challenge as I rarely had solid affirmation that I found the "control" feature that I was looking for. So, as I'd head off to the next control, there was often a nagging suspicion that I was starting from a different place and forcing the map to fit what I was seeing. I think I did fine because, when I encountered a reliable feature, it was always where I expected it. Ran up the hills and jogged when I was certain of my location. Hot and thirsty but glad I did this extra training.

Luckily, this was an easy & long distance swim practice. After warmup & kicking, we did ladder intervals to 500y interspersed with some recovery 100s. The intervals seemed long for everyone in our group but we didn't complain about the rest and instead swam faster. I sensed an impendng calf cramp but held it off until the last 500. I was wiped by then so I packed it in. Decent workout.

Caravanned back from the cat with Charlie's car and had a great cookout at his house with Kathy, Jim & Maricel. This was a beautiful late afternoon to spend drinking one of my favorite ales and eating burgers in Charlie's newly built "peace garden."

IMO, the most beautiful day of 2007 (so far). Did an easy Carmel Lap via Brainard both ways. Ahhh. =)

Quick jaunt along VH to get used to my trail shoes again.

Carmel Lap (easy).

Warmup 400s, 300p then alternated 100d, 100p waiting for a middle lane to open (never happened).

10 x 200m on 3:45. Felt better than last Tuesday and I'm considering dropping the interval (someday). My stroke count is the same every lap and I now breathe twice on my right side just before the turns so I have a little more air through them. This makes a big difference as I start each lap smoothly and not gasping.

Still low weight/high rep. Maybe someday I'll push myself but my focus is elsewhere currently and at least I am doing it. Started abs today.

Thin disguise to get me to the jacuzz. Decent effort in the pool first.

I am listening to Doc Mikee and have started a rest period but I just had to get this long run in before my the EuroCross in 3 weeks. I'm not sure it's enough but I have all the base I am going to build for this race. I can really only maintain it at this point.
After yesterday's pseudo-bonk, I felt surprisingly good during this run today. I had originally planned to go a little further but I decided it was not necessary. It was a good run, all things considered. The receding river left only one small flooded area. I have learned that bashing your feet straight down pushes most of the water away and I can get through a large 6 in. deep puddle without soaking my shoes. Also, the VH is nicely groomed and areas have new crushed limestone (not gravel, right Jeff). ;-)